Reinforced sectional radiator

ABSTRACT

A sectional radiator having a plurality of separate cores disposed in side-by-side relation and a framework securing the cores together. Each core includes tubes and fins, and a reinforcing piece is attached to the core and extends across the width of the core to dampen mechanical vibrations set up by machinery or the like adjacent the radiator. Connectors attach the reinforcing pieces together from core to core.

D United States Patent [191 [111 3,776,301

Young 1 Dec. 4, 1973 [54] REINFORCED SECTIONAL RADIATOR 3,024,003 3/1962 Speca et a1. 165/166 Inventor: Fred M. g, Rac wis- 1,855,552 4/1932 Jacocks et a]. 165/81 X [73] Assignee: Young Radiator Company, Racine, Primary Examiner-Charles J. Myhre Wis. Assistant Examiner--Theophil W. Streule, Jr. [22] Filed: June 21 1972 AttorneyAr thur J. Hansmann 1 1 pp 264,811 57 ABSTRACT A sectional radiator having a plurality of separate [52] US. Cl. 165/67, 165/76 cores disposed in side-by-side relation and a frame- [51] Int. Cl F28f 9/00 work securing the cores together. Each core includes [58] Field of Search 165/81, 82, 76, 77, u e and fins. and a reinforcing piece is attached to 165/67, 149, 166, 67 the core and extends across the width of the core to dampen mechanical vibrations set up by machinery or [56] References Cited the like adjacent the radiator. Connectors attach the UNITED STATES PATENTS reinforcing pieces together from core to core.

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REINFORCED SECTIONAL RADIATOR This invention relates to a sectional radiator of the type including a plurality of separate cores disposed in side-by-side relation and having a framework securing the cores together. More particularly, it relates to mechanically reinforcing the cores to compensate for the mechanical vibration established in the cores by ma chinery operating adjacent the radiator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to radiators of the type which have tubes and fins, and with the opposite ends of the tube being bonded to headers for guiding the flow of a liquid from one header and into the tubes and to the other header. Where this fin and tube type of radiator is used adjacent machinery, such as an internal combustion engine, mechanical vibrations are transmitted to the radiator. These vibrations have been known to cause breakage of the radiator, such as having the bonded tubes separate from the headers. The vibration may be in the direction of the shorter dimension of the somewhat flattened tubes, and thus the tubes do not always mechanically resist the effect of the vibrations. This problem is particularly acute on very large radiators where the mass of the radiator core is great, and thus the inertia of the vibrating core is sufficient to cause breakage or leaking in the radiator. A large radi ator is commonly of a size 6 feet in height and of substantially the same width. The width of these large radiators is commonly made up of a plurality of cores or sections placed side-by-side in order to achieve the wide width mentioned. The radiator sections are then disposed within a framework and headers conduct the liquid through the respective sections or individual cores.

One approach to answering the problem of radiator breakage due to vibration is found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,998,l 12 where a wire is disposed along the width of the radiator andis bonded to the radiator to compensate for the vibration set up in the radiator by adjacent machineryJnthat prior art example cited, the radiator is a small radiator having only a single core, and thus the wire can fully extend from one side to the opposite side of the core and it can be anchored at the side of the core.

In the present instance, the sectional radiator presents a greater concern for the vibration, both from the standpoint of the greater mass and also from the standpoint of mechanically accommodating and connecting the reinforcing pieces which dampen the vibration.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a vibration dampening means on a sectional type of radiator. In accomplishing this object, it will be recognized that the radiator is of a large size and it presents special problems regarding the attachment of the dampening means to the plurality of sections or cores in the radiator, including the problem of anchoring the reinforcing pieces to the radiator framework.

Other objects of this invention include the provision of a reinforcing means for a radiator of the sectional type, and with the reinforcing means being arranged and of a nature which does not interfere with the heat exchange efficiency of the radiator, and which is readily and easily secured to a radiator without requiring any special formation of the radiator itself, but which sufficiently mechanically reinforces the radiator to combat the destructive effect of any mechanical vibration transmitted to the radiator.

Still further, it is an object of this invention to provide a reinforcing means for a sectional type of radiator such that the various sections do not transmit and compound their mechanical vibrations relative to the adjacent sections.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of a sectional type radiator having the reinforcing means shown therewith. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a fragment of the radiator and the reinforcing means of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a fragment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is aside elevational view of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT ers 14 and 16 and through the cores or sections 13, in

the usual arrangement of this sectional type of radiator. Finally, the radiator is shown to include the plurality of upright tubes 17 and the plurality of horizontally disposed fins 18 which together constitute the elements for the cores or sections 13, in the usual arrangement again. The large radiator shown in FIG. 1 is the type which has a shroud 19 extending over a face of the radiator, and a circular opening 21 accommodates a fan which is notshown but which is commonly as large as 5 feet in diameter.

lt will therefore be understood that FIG. 1 shows a conventional type of large sectional radiator, and the problem and concern is to dampen the mechanical vibrations which are commonly transmitted to that type of radiator when the radiator is used adjacent an engine which has characteristic vibrations and which may not be operating smoothly and may even be missing in its ignition of the stroking of the intemal combustion en gine cylinders. Also, the sectional type of radiator mentioned, and that being the type which is already known in the art, is a heavy duty radiator useful in cooling the engine and in other cooling and radiator uses and applications where the largestknown type radiator is required.

FIG. 1 further shows the reinforcing means, and here it is shown extending along the width of the radiator and substantially at the center thereof and is generally designated 22. Thus, each section 13 has an attached reinforcing piece, individually designated 23, and the plurality of pieces 23 are connected to each other for the purpose of dampening the vibration along the width I such as by bonding to the fins 18. The bars 24 are also shown to be in contact with the radiator tubes 17, as seen in FIG. 2, and the bars 24 extend for substantially the whole width of the individual sections or cores l3. L-shaped plates 26 are attached to the respective ends of the bars 24, and bolts 27 connect the plates 26 together. Thus the bars 24 and plates 26 can be welded or brazed or otherwise connected together, and the bolts 27 are available for connecting the plates 26 together and for actually placing tension in the bars 24 as the tightening of the bolts 27 pulls the bars 24 toward each other and between the radiator sections 13. This places a desirable tensioning in the bars 24 for the dampening purposes mentioned. Also, it will be noticed in FIGS. 2 and 4', that the plates 26 are connectors which are spaced from the cores 13, and the bar ends 28 are offset from the remainder 29 of the bars 24, so the reinforcing pieces can be utilized in conjunction with the sectional radiator, and no alteration of the radiator itself is required in order to accommodate the reinforcing pieces being described.

The side two, of the plurality of sections or cores 13, have an L-shaped plate 31 spaced therefrom, and the plates 31 have the offset ends 28 of the bars 24 connected thereto, by welding or brazing or the like. The plates 31 are then secured to the radiator frame side pieces 11 and 12 by the bolts 32 which place tension in the bars 24 as the bolts 32 are tightened to pull on the respective plates 31, as desired.

With the arrangement shown and described, the reinforcing pieces 23 are attached to the respective cores 13 and are tied or connected together to mechanically connect the cores 13, at least at the center length of the cores 13. Also, the connectors 26 and 31 are spaced from the cores 13, to accommodate the reinforcing pieces 23 relative to the radiator, and the tensioning bolts 27 and 32 serve to complete the anchoring of the reinforcing bars 24, and they also serve to place tension in the bars 24 so that the mechanical vibrations are sufficiently dampened to prevent breakage of the radiator.-

Such arrangement and dampening is especially important with respect to vibrations which would tend to swing or whip the cores 13 to the left and right, as viewed in FIG. 2, and, in that lateral direction of vibration, the flattened tubes 17 are least capable of resisting the vibration, and thus the tensioning of the bars 24 is important and is achieved by the means described and shown herein. And, as shown, the tubes 17 and fins 18 are in their usual right-angle relationship to each other, and the bars 24 are shown disposed parallel to the fins l8 and at right angles to the tubes 17, for dampening in that lateral direction across the tubes 17. Also, the radiator sections 13 are in side-by-side relationship and the bars 24 are disposed to extend across the width of the assembled radiators.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sectional radiator of the type including a plurality of separate cores disposed in side-by-side relation, a single framework securing said cores in side-byside relation, each of said cores including a stack of fins and a bank of a plurality of tubes extending at right anglesthrough said fins for conducting fluid through said tubes, said fins extending beyond the side walls of said tubes to the edge of said fins, headers fluid-flow connected to each of said cores for conducting fluid to and from said tubes and with the opposite ends of said tubes being attached to said headers, the improvement comprising a core reinforcing piece for each said core and being bonded to each said core and terminating in opposite ends at opposite sides of each of said cores, each said reinforcing piece including a bar extending between two adjacent ones of said fins and into contact with said tubes and being bonded to said fins in each of said cores, and with the opposite ends of each of said reinforcing pieces extending away from said tubes and beyond the plane of the edges of said fins to be spaced from said cores, each said reinforcing piece including a connector at each end of each said reinforcing piece for connecting said reinforcing pieces to each other, the connected said reinforcing pieces extending in endto-end relation across all said cores for the extent of the entire width of said sectional radiator, said connectors being spaced from said cores and being threaded connectors arranged in threaded relation whereby said reinforcing pieces are pulled toward each other in response to tightening said connectors together and the ends of the two end ones of said connected reinforcing pieces being connected to said framework.

2. The sectional radiator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing piece bar is a rod having its said opposite ends bent to extend spaced away from said cores.

3. The sectional radiator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said opposite ends of said reinforcing pieces are bonded with said connectors, and said connectors are threadedly connected to each other.

4. The sectional radiator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two outside end ones of said connectors on the two outside ones of said cores are releasably and adjustably connected to said framework to anchor said reinforcing pieces to said framework. 

1. In a sectional radiator of the type including a plurality of separate cores disposed in side-by-side relation, a single framework securing said cores in side-by-side relation, each of said cores including a stack of fins and a bank of a plurality of tubes extending at right angles through said fins for conducting fluid through said tubes, said fins extending beyond the side walls of said tubes to the edge of said fins, headers fluid-flow connected to each of said cores for conducting fluid to and from said tubes and with the opposite ends of said tubes being attached to said headers, the improvement comprising a core reinforcing piece for each said core and being bonded to each said core and terminating in opposite ends at opposite sides of each of said cores, each said reinforcing piece including a bar extending between two adjacent ones of said fins and into contact with said tubes and being bonded to said fins in each of said cores, and with the opposite ends of each of said reinforcing pieces extending away from said tubes and beyond the plane of the edges of said fins to be spaced from said cores, each said reinforcing piece including a connector at each end of each said reinforcing piece for connecting said reinforcing pieces to each other, the connected said reinforcing pieces extending in end-toend relation across all said cores for the extent of the entire width of said sectional radiator, said connectors being spaced from said cores and being threaded connectors arranged in threaded relation whereby said reinforcing pieces are pulled toward each other in response to tightening said connectors together and the ends of the two end ones of said connected reinforcing pieces being connected to said framework.
 2. The sectional radiator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing piece bar is a rod having its said opposite ends bent to extend spaced away from said cores.
 3. The sectional radiator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said opposite ends of said reinforcing pieces are bonded with said connectors, and said connectors are threadedly connected to each other.
 4. The sectional radiator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two outside end ones of said connectors on the two outside ones of said cores are releasably and adjustably connected to said framework to anchor said reinforcing pieces to said framework. 